In brief
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's President Alexander Stubb took the initiative to call Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rare move among EU leaders. Both Nordic states said they were simply asking to discuss how to help end the war in Ukraine, not representing a European consensus. Putin warned that confrontational EU and NATO policies were prolonging the conflict and called for new talks. The conversation, hosted from Helsinki, was followed by a meeting of President Volodymyr Zelensky with the same Nordic leaders and the U.S. special envoy. This call marks only the second time an EU head has spoken with Putin since President Macron in July 2025.
Norway and Finland leaders call Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a rare diplomatic move
Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland’s president Alexander Stubb made a rare phone call to Russian president Vladimir Putin Tuesday, a first for European leaders since Macron’s July 2025 conversation.
The Nordic officials said they were only asking to discuss “future negotiations to help end the war” in Ukraine, and clarified that their initiative did not represent a pan‑European position.
During the call, Putin blamed confrontational EU and NATO policies for prolonging the conflict, which began with Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with Støre and Stubb after the call, and had also spoken with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. The conversation was followed by talks that could set the stage for the planned trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi this November.
The call, made from Helsinki, highlights Finland’s and Norway’s border proximity to Russia and shows their willingness to act independently of broader European coordination, drawing criticism from Denmark’s prime minister.
